Street drain for use with a sewer system

ABSTRACT

A street drain which is to be used with a sewer system and which includes a water collection basin, positioned in the street, and a dry well generally located adjacent the street. The collection basin has two discharge openings. One of the openings is placed in communication with the dry well and the other of the openings is placed in communication with the sewer system. The basin discharge opening which is connected into the sewer system is so located relative to the dry well-connected discharge opening that water, such as storm water, entering the collection basin will first pass into the dry well until the dry well is filled and thereafter will pass into the sewer system.

United States Patent [191 Thompson STREET DRAIN FOR USE WITH A SEWER SYSTEM [76] Inventor: Lawson B. Thompson, 1144 E.

Bronson St., South Bend, Ind. 46615 [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 [21] App]. No.1 353,499

[52] US. Cl. 210/163, 404/4 [51] Int. Cl E03d 1/00 [58] Field of Search 210/163-166, 210/532; 404/2, 4, 5, 25; 61/10, 11, 16, 17

[56] References Cited I I UNITED STATES PATENTS 601,794 4/1898 Hershberger 404/4 749,148 1/1904 Aylward 860,252 7/1907 Schnaier..... 1,005,371 10/1911 Union 404/4 2,136,945 11/1938 Klein 210/164 X 2,767,801 10/1956 Eads 61/11 X 3,626.823 12/1971 Toth 404/4 in] 3,815,749 1 June 11, 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 369,075 6/1963 Switzerland ..210/164 156,693 8/1932 Switzerland ..210/163 Primary Examinr-Theodore A. Granger Attorney, Agent, or FirmOltsch & Knoblock [57] ABSTRACT A street drain which is to be used with a sewer system and which includes a water collection basin, positioned in the street, and a dry well generally located adjacent the street. The collection basin has two discharge openings. One of the openings is placed in communication with the dry well and the other of the openings is placed in communication with the sewer system. The basin discharge opening which is connected into the sewer system is so located relative to the dry well-connected discharge opening that water, such as storm water, entering the collection basin will first pass into the dry well until the dry well is filled and thereafter will pass into the sewer system.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJHM 1 m4 sum ear 2 STREET DRAIN FOR USE WITH A SEWER SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to street drains which are used in conjunction with a sewer system and will have particular application to drains utilized to collect storm and other types of surface water for deposit within existing sewer systems. I

I-Ieretofore, communities having combined sanitary and storm sewers have been continually troubled with storm water which passes from streets into the sewer system, causing a mixing of the storm water and sewage water and a resulting overloading of the sewer system with overflow of the mixed sewage and storm water into streams and rivers. Additionally, the diversion of rain and storm water from streets into municipal sewer systems causes silt, debris and similar matter to be washed into the systems, thereby necessitating their frequent cleaning.

As illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,626,823, it has been heretofore suggested to provide streets with storm water drains which are connected solely into separate dry wells located preferably in conjunction with paralleling sidewalk systems. This type system for storm water collection makes no provision for overflow should the dry wells fill during heavy rain storms. Additionally, the system envisioned in US. Pat. No. 3,626,823 incorporates the dry wells into the sidewalk system, thereby necessitating the construction of new sidewalks in situations where there may be existing usable sidewalks.

This invention, the description of which follows, makes use of and supplements existing storm water drains by substantially reducing the water flow into the sewer system, as well as substantially reducing the flow of silt, debris and other similar material into the sewer system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A street drain used in conjunction with a sewer system and including a dry well and a water collection basin disposed in the street to collect the water therefrom. The collection basin includes a first discharge opening which is placed in fluid communication with the dry well and a second discharge opening which is placed in fluid communication with the sewer system. The first and second discharge openings in the collection basin are so located relative to each other that substantially all water flow into the basin passes first into the dry well until the dry well is filled, at which time any additional water flow into the basin will pass in a regulated manner into the sewer system.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a street drain which is for use with a sewer system and which serves to divert storm water into a dry well until the dry well is filled, at which time such water flows into the sewer system with much of the silt, debris and similar material carried by the water being deposited in the dry well during its initial filling.

Another object of this invention is to provide a street drain having a dry well for the collection of storm water and being usable in conjunction with an existing sewer system.

Another object of this invention is to provide an economical means of preventing pollution and contamination through the overloading of an existing sewer system by converting all of a portion of the existing combined sanitary and storm sewer system into a sanitary sewer system only.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the inventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a street drain constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention and utilized with a raised curb system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the collection basin utilized in the street drain shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the collection basin in this invention utilized with a roll-type curb.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the collection basin in this invention utilized in the near center of a street.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments illustrated are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

The drain illustrated in FIGS. l-3 is utilized in conjunction with a curb 10 bordering a street 12. It is to be understood that the term street as utilized in this description and in the following claims also includes roadways, alley-ways, and similar areas open to vehicular and even pedestrian traffic and having storm sewer manholes or drains formed therein. A sidewalk 14 may parallel street 12. A collection basin 16 is located within street 12 adjacent curb l0 and over a conduit 18 which connects into a sewer system (not shown) which may be of the sanitary type or combined storm and sanitary type.

Collection basin 16 includes a side wall 20 which is preferably annular and which may be integrally formed with curb 10. A cover 22 having a plurality of drain openings 23 formed therein is carried by the upper end portion of basin side wall 20. Cover 22 is removable so as to permit repair and cleaning of basin 16. A discharge opening 24 is formed in basin side wall 20. Basin 16 includes a lower end wall 26 which has an opening 28 formed therein. Opening 28 is preferably located directly over conduit 18 leading to the sewer system. A tubular member 30 fits within opening 28 and is supported by end wall 26 of the basin. Tubular member 30 extends upwardly from end wall 26 and terminates in an upper end which is located spacedly below cover 22. A cap 32 spans the upper end of tubular member 30 and is located below cover 22. Cap 32 is preferably integrally formed with tubular member 30. The upper end of tubular member 30 has a plurality of openings 34 formed therein under the cap 32. Openings 34 are located at an elevation which is above the elevation of discharge opening 24 in collection basin side wall 20.

For ease of manufacture, repair and exchangeability of components, it is preferred that tubular member 30 be of separate construction and removably seated upon lower end wall 26 of collection basin 16. The size and number of openings 34 can be varied, such as by exchanging tubular members 30 having different openings 34, so as to regulate the rate of water flow into conduit 18 and the connected sewer system. Openings 34 are designed, by size and number, so as to prevent overloading of the sewer system after the dry well has filled.

A dry well 36 is provided, preferably in close proximity to collection basin 16. A conduit 38 is connected at one end to discharge opening 24 in the collection basin and extends into dry well 36, near the top thereof. Dry well 36 may be of a variety of constructions and is provided with a removable cover 40 which allows access into the dry well for purposes of cleaning and repair. The dry well 36 illustrated in the drawings includes a cylindrical concrete side wall 42 and a concrete bottom wall 44. Each wall 42 and 44 has a plurality of openings 46 formed therein which allow the water which is accumulated within the dry well to seep into and be absorbed by the surrounding soil 48.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are illustrative of modified collection basin constructions. In FIG. 4 collection basin 16 is modified so as to accommodate a rolling curb Cover 22 with the collection basin of FIG. 4 is designed so as to form a portion of curb 10'. In FIG. 5, collection basin 16 is designed so as to be utilized in the center of 25 a street 12 having a drainage surface which tapers toward the collection basin. In each of the collection basins shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, openings 34 in tubular member are formed slightly below the upper edge of the tubular member.

During a storm, water will drain into collection basin 16 of the above described embodiments, flow through discharge opening 24 and conduit 38 into dry well 36. If the rain is not sufficiently hard or of long enough duration to cause dry well 36 to fill, no water will pass into conduit 18 and into the sewer system. But should dry well 36 become filled during a prolonged or heavy storm, all additional water flowing into collection basin 16 will then pass through openings 34 into tubular member 30, down into conduit 18 and into the sewer system. During the filling of dry well 36, the silt and other debris upon street 12 or 12' will be deposited in dry well 36 so that the water, which passes through tubular member 30 and into conduit 18 after the dry well is filled, will be relative clean and free from silt and such other debris. Periodically, cover 40 of the dry well can be removed to permit the cleaning of the dry well. The designed capacity of each dry well will depend upon the amount of rain fall and period of rain fall duration for a given geographical area.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details above given, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A drain adapted for connection with a sewer and with subsurface water collection means independent of said sewer and from which water collected therein is absorbed into the ground, comprising a basin having side and bottom walls and a cover having an aperture therein through which said water enters said basin, said basin having a discharge opening at a lower part thereof, conduit means connected to said discharge opening for connecting said discharge opening with an upper part of said water collection means, said basin bottom wall having an opening therein defined by an upwardly extending open ended tubular member which extends to a level at or above the level of the uppermost part of said discharge opening and which terminates below the level of said cover aperture, and second conduit means connected to said tubular member for directing into said sewer water discharged from said tubular member. 

1. A drain adapted for connection with a sewer and with subsurface water collection means independent of said sewer and from which water collected therein is absorbed into the ground, comprising a basin having side and bottom walls and a cover having an aperture therein through which said water enters said basin, said basin having a discharge opening at a lower part thereof, conduit means connected to said discharge opening for connecting said discharge opening with an upper part of said water collection means, said basin bottom wall having an opening therein defined by an upwardly extending open ended tubular member which extends to a level at or above the level of the uppermost part of said discharge opening and which terminates below the level of said cover aperture, and second conduit means connected to said tubular member for directing into said sewer water discharged from said tubular member. 